Seattle doesn’t care what you think of it—the weather, the coffee, the flying fish. It’s heard it all before. The Emerald City prefers to keep a low profile, like a celebrity living in the suburbs, but we can’t help but call it out. You need to know the truth: It’s one of the best cities in the U.S. for food lovers—with top chefs Tom Douglas, Ethan Stowell, and Renee Erickson leading the local food movement; it has a lively independent music scene that has nothing to do with grunge and everything to do with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Seattle has a pioneer spirit in buzzy reborn Pioneer Square, and a football team that's—gasp—one of the best in the country. Just don't tell too many people.

It's hard to be an indoor cat in Seattle, given its glut of beautiful outdoor spaces and the near-perfect weather every summer. So don't fight it: Get out on a boat, a trail, or a beach, all right in the city.

The Great Outdoors

It's hard to be an indoor cat in Seattle, given its glut of beautiful outdoor spaces and the near-perfect weather every summer. So don't fight it: Get out on a boat, a trail, or a beach, all right in the city.

The neighborhood of Ballard, say the owners of Bastille Cafe & Bar, is much like Paris's 21st arrondissement—with its boutiques, cafes, and boîtes. We can't help but agree. A former Scandinavian, blue-collar fishing community is now one of the most exciting stretches in Seattle, thanks largely to its restaurant row down Ballard Avenue. Come for a meal, stay for the weekend.

Seattle's Hottest Neighborhood

The neighborhood of Ballard, say the owners of Bastille Cafe & Bar, is much like Paris's 21st arrondissement—with its boutiques, cafes, and boîtes. We can't help but agree. A former Scandinavian, blue-collar fishing community is now one of the most exciting stretches in Seattle, thanks largely to its restaurant row down Ballard Avenue. Come for a meal, stay for the weekend.